Return Of the Phantom
by vanessahstar1
Summary: A sequel to The Phantom's Accomplice set 5 years later when mrs. Lovett has bought the Opera Populare as Erik told her to. A bad review has Carlotta threatening to quit, but when unexpected guests arrive, the loss of her diva might seem like a small disaster. I own only the idea.
1. Chapter 1

"Madame Lovett! I simply cannot-"

"Prima donna," I started, tired of Carlotta's fits after the last five years owning the Opera Populare, "do calm yourself. You are my star, and one bad review will cease to change that."

She moved closer, and I tensed. In the seasons I had managed Carlotta, not counting the performance of Don Juan Triumphant when I had first come here and been an observer before I bought the opera house, I had learned she could be vicious if she saw fit. "Madame Lovett you are not hearing me! Either you stop these bad reviews or I quit!"

"Now Señora, do not forget. You are a goddess... a diva above all others. But who was it that stood with you when all seemed lost... when Christine Daae was given her own opera? It was not the press. I have always been your friend and always will be."

She calmed down slowly, crying a little before she looked up at me. "If my manager commands."

I reached out, touching her hand gently. "You're La Carlotta. Nothing beats you. Remember that."

As she walked out, Christine came to the door. "Nellie? Are you alright?"

I closed my eyes. "Did you see the review?"

She nodded. "We did. I imagine Carlotta isn't happy."

I nodded slowly. "Yes. I... she's difficult. She's threatening to quit, and you know how I've supported her."

Christine smiled. "Well, I'd like to take your mind off it awhile. There's a woman requesting to speak with you... a composer Madame Destler. She thinks you might want to perform one of her operas. She dropped off a copy with Madame Giry and said I was to deliver it to you in a note." She handed me the opera and I looked down at it, frowning.

"This writing. It's familiar from somewhere. But I know no Madame Destler." I opened the opera and studied it, reading over it carefully. "Christine, I can see this. The plot's so... it's dark, but I like it. Carlotta will enjoy this role I'm sure. Does Madame Destler intend to come so I can meet with her?"

Christine nodded. "Yes. She said she will be here for your decision tonight. I don't know Mrs. Lovett; I read through it. Be careful not to do something you might regret."


	2. Chapter 2

That night, a woman was shown into my office, the hood of her cloak raised and her face masked. "Madame Destler. I must admit... it's quite an honor to meet with you after reading your work. I must admit... I see potential." She nodded, remaining silent as I continued. "I do believe our prima donna would be well-suited to star in this opera, but I'd like your opinion as the composer."

Madame Destler nodded, speaking quietly though her accent, like mine, was not French. I had adopted a slight shift in pronunciation over the last years, and she had clearly undergone some similar transformation from the mixture of English and American dialects. "Let her sing for me; her finest piece if you will."

I nodded. "Of course. I'm sure she'll be quite pleased to sing for you."

The next morning, Madame Destler returned to the opera house for Carlotta's performance. I stood just off the stage, smiling slightly. "That aria from act III of Faust should do Señora." Carlotta nodded, waiting until the music started to sing. I watched Madame Destler from where she sat, noting her displeasure but waiting until the piece was finished to speak. "You seem... unhappy Madame."

She frowned. "I had envisioned my opera to be sung with less bravado. Is there no other? What about, say, Christine Daae?"

Carlotta glared. "Christine! You're another of Christine's admirers!"

I frowned. "Señora, please! You know I, too, am fond of her. However... Madame de Chagney has not performed since that ordeal. In my time running the Opera Populare I have never had the honor to proclaim she will be singing."

Madame Destler frowned, looking down. "Well I... that really is a shame isn't it? May I speak to her? And... Señora Giudicelli, I mean no disrespect. Your voice is quite good, I must admit. I just imagined something a little softer."

I nodded. "I'm sure Christine will come at some point today. Why don't we go back to my office and wait for her? Oh and Carlotta dear? Don't you think about giving up on me. This was no review."

That afternoon, Christine showed up as usual. "Nellie! I-"

I stood and took her hand, smiling at her softly. "The composer wishes to see you."

She frowned. "Yeah, about that. I really think she's more the lyricist than the composer. Or maybe the musician. But not both. Did you notice the part at the end?"

I turned to the end of the opera and looked down where she was indicating, Madame Destler's name written but also something I hadn't noticed before. "M. Destler? Is she trying to tell us her name?"

Christine shook her head. "No. Nellie, she's married. And her husband helped her compose this opera. I-It's Erik. I saw him."


	3. Chapter 3

I stared at her a moment. "E-Erik? As in... the composer Erik? The Phantom?"

Christine nodded, her expression grim. "Yes. That is exactly who I mean. He still remembers you, you know? He can't wait to see you again."

I glared. "Well why doesn't he just come and see me then?"

She laughed. "You know he likes to visit you at night. Me too... I just happened to see him in the city."

I nodded. "Of course. So he will probably come to me soon then?"

She smiled. "Yes. If I had my guess, he might come tonight."

I nodded. "Then I will wait for him. You, my dear, should go in there and make Madame Destler's day. But you should know... the one thing that hasn't changed, even if she may not answer to Mrs. Moony now, is that she wants you to sing."

Christine frowned. "Me? But you know I gave up the life of a singer."

I nodded. "Go tel that to her. Her heart's set on it my dear."

I watched her disappear behind the door, not bothering to disturb them for the next few hours as I wandered to the stage slowly. If Erik was here, there were only a few places he could have gone, and to me, it seemed almost logical he would return to the stage. If he was looking for me, it would make sense. The stage was the last place we had truly connected, though I had gone below the opera house. I started into an aria from Don Juan Triumphant and looked around, toward Box 5 where I knew he had often watched performances in the past.

"You remember my music." I turned, pulled back to the presence by the voice behind me. There he stood, just as Christine had said.

"I never forgot your music Erik. I never forgot you. But why is it I find out from Christine you're here? When were you going to tell me?"

He took my hand in his own, just as gently as the first time he had stood with me on the stage. "I had all intentions to come to you tonight. But why, my dear Nellie, is Carlotta still your prima donna? Her voice is-"

I scowled, beginning to remember why, for the last years, I had thought of him as little as possible. "Her voice is quite good. If you weren't so obsessively drawn to Christine, monsieur, perhaps you'd see that."

He frowned. "Come home with me Nellie."

I whimpered, trying to pull my hand free. "B-Beneath the opera house?"

He nodded, pulling me through an open trapdoor I hadn't seen before. "Yes my dear. We have much to discuss."


	4. Chapter 4

I fought against him as he drug me into darkness, refusing to go without a fight. I remembered the events that had lead me to his house on the lake beneath the opera house, and I had no desire to return there. "Christine.. Raoul! C-Carlotta! Antoinette...!"

But even as I called out, hoping someone would hear me, the door closed above us and I felt Erik pulling me along as I wept, his voice as gentle as when we had first met though there was something about it that frightened me. "Hush now. I wouldn't hurt you. Surely after all this time you know that."

I whimpered, continuing to cry as I looked toward his voice, unable to see him as he lead me through the darkness and lost relieved I couldn't. Was he enjoying my terror? Did he pity me? Was he doing this out of love? I didn't really care, as long as I was able to return to daylight. "Th-Then why are you doing this? Wh-Why bring me down here by force?"

He sighed, helping me into the boat Christine and Raoul had left when they crossed the lake to escape, when I had fled from him a little ways behind them. "Because, Nellie, she does not wish me to speak to you after what happened last time."

I frowned. "A-After I volunteered to go with you in Christine's place and you refused me.. taking her instead? Why did you do it Erik? Why break my heart again? It's bad enough you broke it at the masked ball."

He sighed, rowing us across the lake even as I spoke. "I had hoped you would see it as an opportunity to start over, maybe use my opera to learn the art of operatic singing and convince them to put you in the chorus. As for why I took your rival? She knew too much. You and Christine called her the Phantom's accomplice, and that she was. You needed to build your empire here, start a new business and forget all thoughts of returning to London."

I laughed, thinking how foolish the idea of going back seemed, even now when I was probably forgotten. "Erik! My love! Do you really think me such a fool? I know better than to return to my old life. Though it has been nice to have money coming in like this."

Erik nodded, leading me to the house and inside. "I knew you might enjoy this if you gave it a chance. And new management was needed, though you were quite wise not to take it on completely alone. I just hoped you could persuade Christine to keep singing."

I frowned. "Yeah well. Sorry to disappoint you. Now can I please go home? Or are you going to keep me down here the rest of my life?"

He sat next to me, holding me close. "No Nellie. Not the rest of your life. Just until you hear my proposal and have time to think it over."


	5. Chapter 5

(Christine's turn, though it might be short.)

I walked into the office and went to sit in Nellie's chair, looking across the table to where my companion sat. "You can take off the cloak now Mrs. Moony. The mask too. I know it's you... I saw him."

My former friend frowned but did as she was asked, though I noticed she hesitated to take off her mask and stopped her. "No. Christine I don't-"

I smiled. "Don't bother with it. I learned the hard way that some people where a mask for a reason."

She smiled, content to watch me for a moment. "You really are a sweet girl Christine. How's life with Raoul?"

I smiled brightly. "It's great. We have a child, and I... oh I couldn't be happier! But now, no changing subjects like that. Nellie told me what you did to her at the performance. How could you? I gave you a place to stay... opened my heart and got Raoul to have you brought here for me.. and you just... you betrayed me in the worst way possible."

She stepped back a little, clearly frightened. I had never treated her like this before, but after what Nellie had told me-how Mrs. Moony had used the Punjab Lasso against her, probably with Erik's assistance and careful instruction-I had become furious. For five years, I had wanted to confront her about it, and here she was. "Christine... Christine I did it for you. So you could sing the words he wrote for you. Not for her! For you Christine!"

I scowled. "You do a lot of bad things for me don't you? Do you ever think about how I feel? Or am I just someone you can use? You know what? Don't answer. I don't want to know. But I won't be singing for you, so you'd just as well go back to London or wherever you've been hiding."

She laughed. "I haven't been in London. I've been safely away from that place this whole time."

I frowned, opening my mouth to speak though we were interrupted by a knock at the door. "Who...? Nellie wouldn't knock, and Raoul would probably just enter. I don't think we dare open it.


End file.
